ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – On Saturday, January 31, downtown Albuquerque’s historic Kimo Theatre hosted a red-carpet premiere for season 5 of the Emmy-award-winning show, Bands of Enchantment.
Bands of Enchantment is a locally produced music television show, created by Ken C. Peterson and directed by Vincente T. Chavez. Filmed in downtown Albuquerque, the show highlights both local and visiting bands. Saturday premiered acoustic sessions, interviews, and concert videos from season 5. During the showing, guests cheered and applauded between the recorded performances, as if the event were a live concert.
The season 5 highlights included the 2-time Latin Grammy-winning band, La Vida Bohem from Caracas, Venezuela, and Albuquerque’s JD Nash and the Rash of Cash, Violet Rising, and Crime Lab.
Tickets were completely free to reserve. Upon walking into the Kimo lobby, guests were greeted with a merchandise table, a bar, and a real-life Emmy award to take photos with on the red carpet.
Before the showing, Tania Armenta (CEO of Visit Albuquerque), Dr. Shelle Sanchez (CEO of Albuquerque Arts and Culture), and creators and directors Ken Peterson and Vince Chavez gave opening remarks.
Armenta and Dr. Sanchez thanked other partners, including Visit Albuquerque and Albuquerque Arts and Culture: “We have been in this partnership from the very beginning,” said Sanchez. They thanked Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller for his support of the entire project and recognized key guests in the audience.
Significant guests on Saturday included Martin Heinrich, among other New Mexico Senators.
“Tonight, the Bands of Enchantment just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported this,” Armenta said to a cheering audience. “This is such a postcard for our city, and the millions of impressions that it gets on PBS, on streaming services, on social media, we are showcasing our local artists, our local music, we are bringing artists from around the world, [and] Albuquerque showcased in so many amazing places.”
“We couldn’t be more proud to share season 5,” remarked creator and director Ken Peterson. Peterson also took a moment on stage to recognize their 90% New Mexico-based crew and all those who made the show possible.
Bands of Enchantment, now with 5 seasons, is available to stream on platforms like Amazon Prime, Roku TV, Tubi, and PBS.